This is a conversation with Adrian Oberg. Adrian is one of the first professionals to go through a Canadian Health Approved training to become a psychedelic clinical counsellor. Adrian works as a harm reduction professional and integration specialist who has been holding space for transcendent experiences for the past 6 yrs. He is the director of Victoria Association of Psychedelic Studies as well as the Celium, a volunteer based harm reduction organization.

OUTLINE:  
Here are timestamps for the episode with references mentioned  
(00:00) - Intro  
(01:04) - Welcoming Exercise
(16:14) – The value of "check ins"  
(20:16) – Training to be a legal psychedelic counsellor  
https://www.therapsil.ca/  
(30:00) – How to establish connection and support others  
(34:10) – Client centered care  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person-centered_care  
(42:40) – Adrian's history with psychedelics  
(48:47) – The war on drugs and against people of color
https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000004642370/jay-z-the-war-on-drugs-is-an-epic-fail.html  
(52:01) – Studying psychedelics at school  
(54:00) – Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)  
https://mapscanada.org/  
(1:01:40) – The importance of honesty  
(1:04:28) – Adrian's relationship with these medicines  
(1:06:50) – Potential for healing and growth  
(1:10:55) – Does buddhism suggest we shouldn't have desires?    
(1:16:46) – Should we avoid suffering? There is no good or bad  
(1:21:20) – Thoughts Without a Thinker, by Mark Epstein
Great book if you only read the introductions to buddhism intended for a western audience. Ignore the author's outdated claims about psychology, neuroscience or anything Freud related
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37082.Thoughts_Without_A_Thinker    
(1:25:13) – Surrendering to the experience in a good way, and the buddha's notion of the third path or the middle way  
(1:32:33) – Do our hangups all come from childhood trauma?  
Already Free, by Bruce Tift. Excellent book on finding contentment and fulfilment in all moments  
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/12400671  
(1:49:00) – Adrian book recommendation
Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse  
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52036.Siddhartha  

Thanks for tuning in!

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